andrew markworthy
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Sep 30, 1999
- Messages
- 4,762
I got my R2 copy in the mail this morning. I'll be brief, because: (1) the R1 may be different and (2) I understand that the big bonus extra of the 'Don't Crash' making-of documentary is unique to the R2 version (a pity, because it's really good).
Okay, picture quality is acceptable (but there again, the original film wasn't a demonstration piece) and the sound is appropriately beefy in the right places (helped in no end by the DTS optional soundtrack). Extras (other than the Don't Crash doc) are okay, but not particularly special: a couple of genuinely deleted scenes, a missing Guide entry, a couple of spoof deleted scenes, a Marvin hangman game, a very brief making of set of interviews (the usual stuff) and a director's commentary (listened to some of it - seems rather more informative than the usual run of these things).
The big revelation is the film itself, which is much much better on second viewing. The story was one that was never going to lend itself comfortably to the time limits of a movie, but lounging back in a comfortable sofa without the great movie theatre experience of the hard of thinking laughing at jokes half a minute behind everyone else and blanking out the dialogue, it was pretty good second time around. Little details and background action become more noticeable, and it's a rather more enjoyable movie when you're not simply trying to follow the plot.
Unless the R1 version is a total lemon (which I doubt) then I'd recommend this disc, but provided you've got the equipment to play it and you're not going to have a fit of the vapours over PAL speedup, then pick up the R2 version for the extra documentary.
Okay, picture quality is acceptable (but there again, the original film wasn't a demonstration piece) and the sound is appropriately beefy in the right places (helped in no end by the DTS optional soundtrack). Extras (other than the Don't Crash doc) are okay, but not particularly special: a couple of genuinely deleted scenes, a missing Guide entry, a couple of spoof deleted scenes, a Marvin hangman game, a very brief making of set of interviews (the usual stuff) and a director's commentary (listened to some of it - seems rather more informative than the usual run of these things).
The big revelation is the film itself, which is much much better on second viewing. The story was one that was never going to lend itself comfortably to the time limits of a movie, but lounging back in a comfortable sofa without the great movie theatre experience of the hard of thinking laughing at jokes half a minute behind everyone else and blanking out the dialogue, it was pretty good second time around. Little details and background action become more noticeable, and it's a rather more enjoyable movie when you're not simply trying to follow the plot.
Unless the R1 version is a total lemon (which I doubt) then I'd recommend this disc, but provided you've got the equipment to play it and you're not going to have a fit of the vapours over PAL speedup, then pick up the R2 version for the extra documentary.